Augmented Reality: Does It Suit For Education?

Augmented Reality enhances different industries: entertainment, toys, social networks, furniture, advertising and marketing, and many others. The reason: augmented reality apps enable to incorporate digital objects into the physical world as if they were a part of it. Users not just only see via their screens a thing that was previously was invisible – they can judge on its size, shape, colors etc. They see how the thing will look like in the reality and decide whether it is what they like what they see.

No wonder, education is on the list too. People can study digital objects and obtain new knowledge for less efforts from both teachers’ and students’ side. Here is why:

New and various content. AR suits for apps targeted on different audiences, from primary school through high school to college and university students. Different kinds of content, including 3D models, videos, audio files and much more can be activated through augmented reality mobile apps upon pointing the camera on the marker – all gathered in one place.

Visualization. With the help of an augmented reality app teachers can illustrate any lesson, any discipline. For example, an iPad app Histopad designed for a French museum reconstructs the decoration of a medieval castle. Via iPad screen visitors can see how the château de Chambord looked like by the times of the French king Franscis I.

Another example is Virtuali Tee, a special t-shirt paired by a dedicated mobile app. Virtuali Tee lets learn about human anatomy by what is inside a human body. The app provides an astonishingly realistic look at the work of internal organs: heart, lungs, blood circuits and more.

Interactivity. With AR technology, theory becomes practice. Most of the app enable users to touch the models with hands to zoom, rotate, and switch between the objects. Students can look at the objects from all sides and create an improved idea of it for less mental effort. Thus, students learn more than just looking at a traditional 2D illustration and reading a description, even the finest one.

Gamification. Learning through play is one of the most effective methods. It suits for different ages helping easily memorize new material and freeing from stress. Also, augmented reality boosts creativity. Students and teachers do not fear anyone breaks something or creates a huge mess in the classroom.

Last but not least: the end-price of an AR app. With the latest improvements of AR engines, the technology has become reasonably affordable for many interested. The product owners need in idea, quality 3D models or any other content, and a team who can develop and maintain an app. On the other hand, end users need a smart device with a camera. And that is it. While there are many startups trying to solve the problem of specific AR gear, the most common AR devices are iPhones/iPads and Android smartphones. However, as long as in today’s world almost everyone has a smartphone or a table, AR technology will only gain in popularity.

Due to its benefit, we can expect the expansion of educational AR apps enabling people to study what and when they want but also helping teachers introduce learning material with fun and maximum efficiency.